Lockwood de Forest (1850-1932) was an American artist and decorator who worked in the American
Orientalist style, influenced by his travels in India and the Middle East. By 1915, he had moved to
California, and his paintings were typical California landscapes.

Today, collectors are searching for some of his furniture, jewelry and textiles made after 1879
at the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Co. and later at Tiffany. De Forest’s furniture was modeled after
chairs in Indian palaces. It was handcrafted of teak, brass and other materials.

A pair of 1881 chairs designed by de Forest sold for $242,500 at Bonhams New York in September
2013. But bidding might have gone that high because de Forest used the chairs in his home — and
they were later purchased by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst.

• • •

Q: My mother saved S&H green stamps in the 1970s, and she used the stamps to
get me a bank that resembled a little cash register. It was green and had a panel on the front that
read “Uncle Sam’s 3 Coin Register Bank.” I lost it years ago.

In 1996, we bought a house and found the same type of bank in our attic, but this one is black
tin. It has the same front panel. The bottom of the faded back panel reads “Durable Toy &
Novelty Co., Division of Western Stamping Co., Jackson, Michigan.” Does it have any value?

A: Durable Toy & Novelty Co. invented a single-coin Uncle Sam’s register bank
in 1906. The three-coin version was first made in 1923. It was made of cold rolled steel.
Production was moved to Asia in the 1960s, and the bank was then made of tin. The tin bank was made
in different enameled colors, including black, green and red.

Your black tin bank was made after 1960 and sells for $15 to $25.

Current prices

Prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions nationwide.

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel, authorities on collectibles, write for King Features Syndicate.
Write to them in care of The Dispatch,
King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. Or visit
www.kovels.com.